A police manhunt is underway in Kamuli district and surrounding areas to find a one Waiswa Abdallah Katende who alleged to have strangled a 7-year-old boy after failing to secure a Ug.shs. 3M ransom he was demanding from the kid’s parents .
Police has identified the deceased boy as John Isabirye a son of Mr. Robert Muwodi- resident of Bulungu zone, Busimba Ward, Namwendwa Town council in Kamuli district. The Busoga North Regional Police spokesperson ASP Micheal Kasadha the deceased boy was kidnapped Sunday night by Abdallah Waiswa.
Police investigations indicate that Waiswa found the victim at the community borehole at around 08:00 PM and took him to an unknown destination and started started demanding a ransom of Shs 3m from the parents through persistent phone calls.
According to Kasadha the demand for a ransom went on until Monday morning- when he succeeded after lowering the ransom money ugshs.s 50,000 which was raised and sent by the community.
“Having sent the money, the concerned residents started pleading with Waiswa for the possible recovery of the minor. However, the first attempt did not yield as he gave them wrong information. It was after a series of engagements that he directed him to the nearby sugarcane plantation in the same area where the boy was found dead with signs of strangulation,” said ASP Kasadha in a Monday evening police statement.
At the time of the discovery of the minor’s lifeless body, the district community Liaison officer had just arrived on the ground to engage the residents who were threatening to destroy the home of Semakula Isma, father to the suspect.
Kasadha urged members of the public who could be having information that can lead to the arrest of Waiswa Abudallah Katende to avail it to the police as investigations and a manhunt for the suspect intensifies.
At the time of filing the story, the deceased’s body was conveyed to Kamuli general hospital mortuary for an autopsy report and will later be handed to the family for burial.
